1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; 'Whom art thou like in thy greatness?'"
God has often compared countries with objects or people in order to express what they look like to Him. He is going to compare Egypt to Assyria.
3 "'Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.'"
Assyria made God think about a large, beautiful tree.
4 "'The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.'"
The capital city of Assyria (Nineveh) was located on the Tigris River, (for map, see Here) one of the greatest rivers in the world. They had a very large trade through the use of this river.
5 "'Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.'"
You couldn’t hide Assyria. He stands above all other kingdoms of his time like the tallest tree in the forest. Even in history, he stands out.
6 "'All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.'"
Assyria conquered many, many people. He also protected anyone who willingly submitted themselves to him. He was one of the greatest kingdoms the world has ever seen.
7 "'Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.
8 "'The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.'"
Excavations tell us that Nineveh was a very beautiful place.
9 "'I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.'"
Even Egypt, who God is talking to now, had envied Assyria.
10 "'Therefore thus says the Lord God; Because thou have lifted up thyself in height, and he has shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;'"
Because of Assyria’s pride…
11 "'I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.'"
God allowed Babylon, one of Assyria's tributaries, to conquer him.
12 "'And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.'"
When Babylon conquered Assyria, no one defended him. Everyone abandoned him.
13 "'Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:'"
Birds and beasts will often scrounge through the remains of a fallen tree for any tidbits they can eat.
14 "'To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.'"
No one else would become as cruel and arrogant as Assyria did. All other nations would take warning and restrain themselves.
15 "'Thus says the Lord God; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.'"
Everyone was shocked that Babylon could destroy Assyria.
16 "'I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
17 "'They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
18 "'To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shall thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.'"
“In the same way, Pharaoh, I am going to destroy you.”